The Marauder's Era
by LilyTheNinjaGirl
Summary: A fanfic about the Marauder's time at Hogwarts. It is a thorough telling of all seven years at Hogwarts, the summers in between, and a few flashbacks to their childhood. Canon compliant and mostly compliant with the head-canon views the fandom have of the Marauders. Focuses on James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, and Regulus Black.
1. Boarding the Train

_A/N: Hello everyone! I have recently fallen in love with the Mauraders Corner of the Harry Potter fandom. After obsessing over headcannons, fanart, and fanfic, I decided to make a contribution of my own._

 _This story will follow the lives of James Potter, Sirius Black, Remus Lupin, Peter Pettigrew, Lily Evans, Severus Snape, and Regulas Black through their years at Hogwarts. It will hopefully be very thorough and as canon-compliant as possible. It will include summers and flashbacks of their childhoods. Although these characters appear for a very short time in actual HP canon, I shall try to avoid too much "OOC-ness" with the fandoms interpretation of the Marauders._

 _Anyway, I hope you enjoy! Please follow, favorite, and_ _review_ _if you want more!_

 **Chapter One: Boarding the Train**

James Potter boarded the Hogwarts express with a skip in his step and a smile on his face. He had just finished his lengthy goodbye to his parents, which involved a lot of hugs and kisses from his mum and some good-natured advice and behavior reminders from his dad. He dragged his shiny new trunk down the aisle, searching for an empty compartment. Finally, he found one. Shoving the door open with one hand, he tossed his trunk in with the other and then scrambled in after it.

James had been beyond excited to receive his Hogwarts letter, even though it was a given that a member of the Potter bloodline would be attending Hogwarts. He had so much fun running up and down the streets of Diagon Alley, receiving his wand, and getting celebratory ice cream. Now he was finally free from his parent's clutches and on his way to what would surely be a very grand adventure!

He ran a hand through his untidy mop of black curls. His dark hazel eyes shimmered with excitement that could hardly be contained – it spilled out over his whole persona. He adjusted his glasses on his nose with one hand while he waved at his parents with the other hand. He leaned back against the leather seat and closed his eyes, taking in the sights and sounds of Platform 9 & ¾. He couldn't wait to make friends and join the Quidditch teams and learn all sorts of new hexes and jinxes.

#

Sirius Black boarded the Hogwarts express with a chip on his shoulder and a twinkle in his otherwise steely eyes. His goodbyes to his parents had been less lovey-dovey. After a lengthy speech on how he must behave and who he must socialize with, along with at least twenty reminders on how important being sorted in Slytherin was, his parents had finally turned him loose. Though they watched his every move with their piercing eyes, he couldn't help but feel a shiver of excitement.

He carried his trunk carefully up the stairs, making sure to hold himself perfectly upright with his shoulders back until he was out of sight around the corner where finally he relaxed and even let out a gleeful little whoop. He already knew a lot of the Slytherin upper years from wealthy and prominent families, so he decided to sit with them. He didn't really enjoy their company, but they had taught him some rather neat (though nasty) hexes over the summer and he was hoping to learn a few more. Who knew the kind of mischief he could cause?!

After searching half of the train without any luck at finding the Malfoys, the Lestranges, or even his cousins, Sirius finally found a nearly empty compartment. There was only one other boy in it. Sirius decided that he may as well give up on finding his relatives and sit with this boy instead. "May I have a seat?" he drawled lazily.

The other boy, who had and untidy mop of hair nearly as black as Sirius' and shining hazel eyes behind a pair of glasses, nodded enthusiastically. Sirius tossed his trunk into the luggage rack and plopped himself down in the seat across from his peer. Before he could introduce himself, the compartment door opened again and two more students peered in. One was a lovely red-headed girl, and the other was a tall and rather greasy black-haired boy.

"Is there room for us too?" the girl asked.

"Of course there is," the boy next to her muttered. "Each compartment seats at least four." He shot Sirius and the other boy a rather snotty look.

"Come on in," the boy with glasses said. "I'm James Potter."

The red-head stepped forward and tried to heave her trunk into the rack. James stood to help her. Meanwhile, Sirius felt his heart sink. Here he was hoping he could find some friends, but everyone knew that the Potters and the Blacks rather disliked each other. Hated might be a better word. He knew he should have gone to sit with the Malfoys or the Lestranges as his parents had instructed. They were the type of his people his family got along well with. However, he felt a little burning satisfaction from his small amount of rebellion against his parent's instructions.

Once seated, the girl turned to James. "Lily Evans," she introduced herself. "And this is Severus Snape. We're pleased to meet you!"

"I can introduce myself," Severus murmured, but Lily only laughed.

"I'm ever so excited to be going to Hogwarts! It sounds so wonderful! I only just found out about it, when I got my Hogwarts letter. I'm a muggle born, you see."

"You're a mudblood?" Sirius blurted out on impulse. He had never been around anyone that wasn't a pureblood before. The second the words were out of his mouth he regretted them. Severus and James looked murderous, although Lily only looked mildly confused.

"What kind of a high and mighty prat do you suppose yourself to be? That's a horrible thing to say!" James chided angrily. Sirius was almost as confused as Lily.

"What? That's what she is!" he tried to justify. "She has muggle parents, hasn't she?"

"You can't just go around calling muggleborns mudbloods!" James' voice rose and his face was turning rather red. "That's an absolutely nasty thing to say to anyone and I won't stand for it! I know you Blacks think that you're better than everyone because you're purebloods, but that doesn't mean you can go around calling people the m-word like a bunch of slimy gits!"

Sirius felt his mask of indifference falter and turn into a frown. James must have noticed because he continued. "Of course I recognized you right away! My parents warned me about your lot. I wanted to give you a chance but it seems that they were right!"

"I didn't know that it's rude to call someone that! That's just what everyone calls them!" Sirius protested. He hated the fact that everyone expected him to be like his family. He wasn't fond of them and he didn't do any of the meaner things that they did, but he didn't realize that mudblood was a bad word! All of his parent's friend's called Muggle-born wizards that word! He could feel his temper rising. James snorted.

"Sure you didn't. You Slytherins are all the same. Bunch of nasty prats, you lot! Well you're not welcome here! Why don't you go sit with your cousins and hex little bunny rabbits for fun or something?"

"Fine!" Sirius snapped, blood pounding in his head. "You Gryffinors are all the same. Think they're so high and might going around telling everybody what they can and can't do. No one made you Grand Marshall of the Hogwarts Express!"

"Slytherins can be nice too!" Lily protested from where she had been sitting quietly. "Sev will be a Slytherin and I think he's very kind!"

"Stop speaking up for me!" Snape growled at Lily, who seemed rather taken aback. James laughed.

"Slytherins are all the same! Muggle-haters and blood-zealots, every one. Now why don't you two Slytherins sod off!"

Sirius grabbed his trunk from the rack, making sure to shoulder-check James on his way to the door. He stormed into the corridor. To his mild surprise, Snape followed him with Lily at his heels. Sirius went one way and Lily and Severus went the other. Right before he left the train car, Snape whirled around and shot a stinging hex at Sirius. It his lower left arm and the pain spread all up and down the limb. "That was for calling Lily a mudblood," he snarled before he disappeared.

Sirius snarled and gritted his teeth together. He kept traveling forward until he reached another half-full compartment. He slammed the door open and threw his trunk into the luggage rack without even a hello or a request to sit there. Instead he went about surveying the damage to his arm, which true to the name of the hex was now stinging horribly. There had been two boys already in the compartment: a short, fat, blonde little boy who was shifting nervously and avoiding eye contact, and a thin, sickly looking boy with light brown hair who glanced over the top of his textbook for a moment before hiding his face in it again. Sirius ignored them both and went back to fuming.

Meanwhile James went about calming himself down. He donned his school robes and straightened them before stowing his wand in his pocket. He bought generous helpings of candy from the Trolley Witch when she came to his car, and he amused himself by trying to get two chocolate frogs to race each other. Eventually some older students came and sat in his apartment. They began a conversation about Quidditch that he launched himself right into, as he considered himself somewhat of an expert on the subject. They thought him quite cute and let him talk. Soon, the name-calling Black and the other greasy Slytherin were completely forgotten.

#

Remus Lupin had boarded the Hogwarts express with great hesitation and even a little fear. If any of the other students saw the discomfort on his face, they might have chalked it up to fear of leaving home and the apprehension of what was to come. They had no way of knowing the truth. His goodbyes to his parents had been rather tear-filled. They gave him a nicely wrapped sandwich, a firm hug, and a reminder not to share his secret with _anybody_ under _any circumstances_. Then he put on a brave face and carried his battered little trunk onto the train.

After finding an empty compartment and stowing his gear, he waited and waved goodbye to his parents as the train pulled away from the station. Then they were gone. He was glad that his compartment was empty because he didn't want anyone else to see the tears that sprang into his eyes. He pulled out one of his textbooks and began to read, but his mind ended up wandering.

Remus Lupin was a werewolf. He was bitten by the fierce werewolf Fenrir Greyback after his father had insulted Greyback in a pub. He was only about four and a half when he was bitten. For years his parents searched for cures, but there was nothing to be done. Once a month their son turned into a monster and had to be locked into a cellar for the safety of everyone but himself. There the wolf tore and bit itself in the mad hunt for human flesh. That explained the scars on his face, hands, and the whole rest of his body.

He had never expected to be allowed to go to Hogwarts. Half-breeds were looked down upon and segregated in the wizarding society, labeled as monsters and beasts. The headmaster of Hogwarts, Albus Dumbledore, had shown up on the Lupin's doorstep a month prior with a letter and a radical idea: that Remus deserved an education. After many long talks, tours of Hogwarts, and strategizing, the impossible became possible. Remus Lupin was going to Hogwarts.

Remus was extremely grateful to Dumbledore for giving him such a marvelous opportunity. He knew he ought to be excited about the castle at the end of the train ride and the days that he would spend there, but he was also scared. He had never attended school for fear he might let word about his condition slip. He wasn't used to classes and teachers, because his parents had homeschooled him. He wasn't allowed to play with other children, and he had no idea how to interact with people his age. Everything that lay before him was a big question mark.

#

Peter Pettigrew boarded the Hogwarts Express with a nervous grin and a chocolate frog clutched in one hand. In the other was his trunk, which he did his best to haul along even with his stout little frame. His mother had given him a wet, sloppy kiss and sent him on his way. He was so happy that he had been accepted into Hogwarts, because he had shown signs of magic a little later than other wizarding youths. Nevertheless, here he was.

He checked all the compartments in the train, looking for some friendly young boys to share chocolate and a game of Gobstones with. He avoided a compartment where there looked to be an argument going on between two dark-haired boys. Skittering out of the way of the older students, he finally found a nice, quiet compartment and slipped in.

"Hallo," he introduced himself immediately. "I'm Peter Pettigrew."

The other boy looked rather startled, lowering his book and staring at Peter with big, brown eyes. "Remus Lupin," he said rather quietly.

Peter nodded his head towards the seat. "May I sit here?" After getting a nod of approval from Remus, he stood on his tiptoes to put his trunk away and then plopped down on the bench. Remus had gone back to reading.

Suddenly, the door slammed open and one of the dark-haired boys Peter had seen earlier marched inside. His trunk was flung heavily into the rack before he collapsed onto the bench next to Remus, shooting them both rather dark looks. He busied himself staring at his arm, which was red and blotchy. Peter fidgeted with his hands, trying not to make eye contact. He glanced over at Remus. The brown-haired boy peeked over his book at the angry newcomer. He looked like he wanted to say something, but eventually he went back to reading. Peter mentally sighed. This would be a long train ride.

 _A/N: So I decided to take a bit different approach to Sirius Black than others have taken. I believe that his parents never let him associate with anyone who wasn't a "good influence" on him and that he has no idea his parents worldview is wrong because it's all he's ever known. It's only after he's lectured/fought on the subject multiple times and starts seeing how others act/speak that he realizes how wrong his life is._

 _Anyway, these ending authors note's will be where I put my theories/explanations/headcannons. So yeah. I hope you enjoyed this chapter! Feel free to leave a review! Chapter Two is almost done._


	2. The Train Ride and The Entrance

**Chapter Two: The Train Ride and The Entrance**

 _A/N:Hey guys! If anyone is even reading this...To be honest I'm writing this more for myself, because the Marauders fascinate me and I want to tell their story my own way until we get some writing about that from good ol JK Rowling (if she ever gives it to us). Anyway, expect consistent updates because I already have Chapter Three typed up and I'm halfway through chapter four. Now without further ado, enjoy!_

Peter ended up being wrong. After about twenty minutes of silence in which the new boy glared, Remus read, and Peter played with his fingers, the Trolley Witch came to their compartment. Peter immediately purchased multiple of everything. The black-haired boy did too, but he did it wordlessly by grabbing what he wanted and casually tossing his money onto the Trolley. Remus didn't purchase anything, and Peter noticed him clutching a little sandwich in one hand.

"You want a chocolate frog?" Peter asked Remus. The boy looked up from his book, seemingly startled.

"Uh, no thank you," he said politely, but Peter could tell that Remus really wanted to say yes.

"Take it." Peter shoved the box into Remus' hand. "Have some Bertie Bott's Every Flavor Beans too! Just don't get angry at me if you get one that tastes of spinach." Remus smiled shyly and accepted the candy, and Peter smiled. The black-haired boy cleared his throat.

"I don't suppose either of you got Agrippa?"

There was dead silence for a few minutes. "No," Peter answered quietly. Remus shook his head no as well. The other boy huffed. Peter bit his lip before asking, "What's your name?"

"Sirius," the boy answered immediately.

"Your name is Serious? Like, the emotion?" Remus couldn't help but blurt out. He instantly bit his tongue and cowered behind his book a bit. Thankfully, Sirius didn't seem to be annoyed. Apparently he was used to this.

"No, like the star. Third star in Orion's belt."

"Oh."

"Do you have a last name?" Peter asked rather saucily.

Sirius pondered for a moment before replying, "Nope. Just Sirius."

"But surely you have a la-"

"I told you, just call me Sirius!" the boy thundered. Peter was startled and scooted himself away again. The compartment was completely silent for a good ten to fifteen minutes before Sirius leaned over and grabbed the book out of Remus' hand, who made a small noise in protest. " _Hogwarts: A History_? What are you reading this for? You know they only assign homework after you get to school," Sirius drawled.

"I know," Remus responded quietly. "I just find it interesting."

Sirius snorted. "What's so interesting about schoolbooks? Why not read a book about motorcars or something?" Sirius was fascinated by the great big muggle machines that rattled down the road in front of Number 12 Grimmauld Place. He was never allowed to touch them, nor even see them if it could be helped. His parents disapproved of everything to do with Muggle-borns. Sirius didn't really see what the big deal was.

Remus wrinkled his nose. "Motorcars? Why would I read about a thing like that?

"Don't you find them fascinating? With their big black fronts and their shiny door handles and their loud horns!" Sirius beamed, miming a driver honking his horn.

"Not especially. My parent's motorcar just sits in the driveway most of the time," Remus responded. Peter thought Sirius' jaw nearly hit the floor.

"Your parents have a motorcar? What kind is it? How big are the tires? How fast can it go?" Sirius peppered Remus with questions. The rest of the ride was spent peaceably, as Sirius had blown off whatever bad mood had chased them into their apartment to begin with. Remus answered all of his question patiently. He wasn't comfortable with all of the attention Sirius was paying him, but as long as the boy only asked about motorcars and not Remus' personal life he was able to answer and sound normal. He was very scared that everyone would be able to glance at him and know he was a werewolf, but apparently not.

Sirius could barely contain his excitement as he peppered his train-mate with questions. As the boy gathered his thoughts, Sirius took a moment to look him over. He was a few inches shorter than Sirius, but that might just be because he sat hunched over on his seat, as if trying to make himself smaller and less noticeable. He had mousy brown hair and large chocolate brown eyes. A scar that ran along his jawline attracted Sirius' focus. After closer observation, Sirius noticed three small scars on his nose and a rather large one by his right ear.

The boy was wearing worn out jeans, a large sweater with a rather horrid pattern and sleeves that were a bit too long and hid his hands, and beat up sneakers. He chewed on his lip while he talked and frankly looked rather nervous and awkward. Sirius, however, had been taught to carry himself well in any social situation. That, combined with his hyper personality and love of motorcars, kept the conversation flowing nicely.

"What do you do when it gets all dark out? How do you see?"

Remus blinked. "You put on the headlights, I suppose."

"Are those the things on the front of the car? How do you turn them on without magic? How do they work?"

"Er, you flip a switch and they go on. I think it uses electricity. I'm not quite sure how that works, I'm sorry," Remus looked rather ashamed.

"I see motorcars a lot in my village," Peter piped up, feeling left out of the conversation.

"That's nice," Sirius said dismissively. "Now you there, I never did ask your name did I?" Remus shook his head. "Well, what is it?"

"Remus."

"Remus? That's a perfectly ridiculous name!" Remus flushed bright red at Sirius' proclamation. "Not that I should be saying anything, seeing as my name is _Sirius_. See now Peter is a normal name. Lucky chap. Anyhow, have you driven a motorcar before?"

"I've ridden in one," Remus answered again quietly. Peter could see he was getting worn out from the conversation. He didn't seem to be used to so much attention and there were dark circles under his eyes. Maybe he couldn't sleep from excitement? Peter hadn't slept a wink last night either.

"I think we should change into our robes. We should be nearly there," he announced. He saw a hint of gratitude flash through Remus' brown eyes and disappointment flash in Sirius' steely gray ones.

Remus gathered a small black bundle and stood. "I'm going to go change in the restroom," he explained quietly. He slipped out of the apartment and headed down to the bathroom. He couldn't let those two boys see his scars. He smiled a little when he realized that he had successfully carried on a conversation for a full thirty minutes. It felt nice.

" _Don't get too close to anyone. You can have acquaintances, of course, but if you make close friends they are bound to notice your disappearances around the full moon and put two and two together._ "

Remus hugged the black robes to his chest as his slipped past the compartments full of laughing youths. "Don't make friends," he muttered to himself. At the time, it had seemed like a personably reasonable request. Now he wasn't so sure.

Meanwhile, Sirius reached for his own robes. "Shall we take turns closing our eyes?" Peter asked in a squeaky voice. Sirius shot a look of annoyance at the tubby little blond boy. He seemed plenty kind, but almost annoyingly so. He was also a little jittery, and unlike Remus' quiet but obvious insecurity, Peter's fidgeting got on Sirius' nerves.

"That's perfectly ridiculous! We're both boys, after all!" he announced loudly. He wanted to put on an air of complete confidence and manly pride. Peter nodded but turned away from Sirius all the same. Sirius mentally sighed in relief. His exclamation had been nothing but show. He didn't want Peter to see the scars littering his back from his parent's discipline. He was sure they would be nothing new to Peter, for surely every set of parents used a belt on their child occasionally. Peter must have scars too. Maybe that's where Remus' scars came from. Still, Sirius didn't like showing them off.

He changed quickly and then even had the decency to pretend to be occupied while Peter changed. Remus re-appeared in the apartment, wearing robes that looked a little worn. Sirius' were brand new, of course. The finest quality. Even Peter's looked nice and new, though a little on the cheap side.

"We're here! We're here!" Peter heard a loud voice exclaiming. A girl with flaming red hair passed their compartment window, bouncing in excitement and dragging a boy with greasy black hair behind her. The train screeched to a halt, jolting its passengers a little bit.

"Do we take our luggage with us?" Remus asked. Sirius laughed, although not unkindly.

"Of course not! The house-elves will take care of it!"

Remus looked like he wanted to ask what house-elves were, but seemed too shy. Peter followed him out of the apartment and quietly explained. "House elves are little elves that a lot of wealthy wizarding families have. They're kind of like house-maids or servants. I've heard Hogwarts have over two hundred!"

"Thank you," Remus murmured. The two boys followed Sirius black off of the train and over to where a simply gigantic man was calling for First Years. "Firs' Years! Firs' years o'er here!"

#

James quite enjoyed the boat ride across the lake. He steered clear of the rotten Black heir who seemed to have two tag-a-longs and climbed into a boat with a few other first year boys. He stared in amazement at the size of the Groundskeeper, who introduced himself as Hagrid. As the boats launched, James laughed wildly and let his fingers dangle in the water, feeling the cool liquid lap his hand.

Despite seeing pictures of Hogwarts in his family photo album, he couldn't help but stare as he saw the castle in person for the first time. It was ten times bigger than it appeared in the photographs. Each window was lit up and there was a huge and beautiful tree in front of it, just on the other side of the lake. There were huge double-doors at the entrance, four large towers, and owls swooped around it in the air.

They disembarked the boats (James caused one of the boys in his boat to panic by rocking it back and forth while the boy was trying to get out) and headed up the stairs to the entrance. He was vaguely aware of the pretty red-head and her greasy friend behind him.

Lily Evans was so excited she could barely stand it. She bounced in place, spinning around to take it all in. There was a great staircase in front of her and a glittering chandelier filled with candles above her head. "Sev, why isn't the wax dripping down?" she asked, tugging on his sleeve.

He rolled his eyes. "Magic."

"It's simply marvelous! Just like you said it would be! Oh, if only Tuney were here to see this!"

"Here are tha firs' years, Professor McGonagall," the giant groundskeeper told a young-looking witch. Her ebony hair was pulled back in a bun and she wore spectacles.

"Thank you Hagrid. Follow me please," she instructed them. As she led them away, she began to give them a lecture about each of the houses and the point system. Lily listened attentively, but Sirius let her voice wash over him. He already knew all of that stuff anyway. He was reflecting on the Hogwarts houses. He'd be in Slytherin, of course. Every Black that had ever gone to Hogwarts was placed in Slytherin.

"Reckon you'll be in Slytherin?" he asked Remus, who was startled again.

"I'm not sure," Remus confessed. "My father was a Gryffindor."

Sirius felt his heart sink. Of course. "And your mother?" he asked.

Remus bowed his head. "She didn't come to Hogwarts. She's a Muggle."

"A muggle? So you're a half-blood?" Sirius asked skeptically. "I thought you were a pureblood… That's a shame."

Remus felt a jolt of anger bolt through him. "So what if I'm not a pureblood? I have just as much of a right to be here as you do!" he spat. James started slow-clapping and was soon joined by almost all of the other students, except for Severus and a few others. Remus flushed and hid behind Peter, shrinking in on himself. Sirius' face was also red from anger and embarrassment.

"I don't think you have less of a right to be here! I was just saying it's a shame because you won't be able to be in Slytherin with me!" he hissed. Remus shrank under his gaze.

"Who would want to be?" James laughed, clapping Peter on the shoulder.

"Oh would you leave the Slytherins alone? You might be placed into Slytherin too!" Lily hissed.

James stared at her. "Not a chance. The Potters are always Gryffindors."

"Well I hope I'm in Slytherin, and certainly not in Gryffindor with you, you toe-rag!"

"It is time for the Sorting!"" Professor McGonagall announced, appearing from out of nowhere. She led the students into the Great Hall, where they were all too distracted by the enchanted ceiling and millions of floating candles to throw any more insults at each other. Remus slunk along, feeling ashamed that he had called such attention to himself and unknowingly started a war. Peter was clutching Remus' robes tightly, like a toddler clutches his mother's skirts. He nearly tripped over his own feet three times.

A worn-out hat was placed on a stool, where it proceeded to sing a little song about Hogwarts. The Sorting was about to begin.

 _A/N: I wanted to keep the fandom's portrayal of Peter as more skittish and softer than his fellow Marauders, but I also feel like sometimes people don't give him enough credit. I decided that I want Peter to be a very kind person (like Sirius said, almost annoyingly so). I feel like with James and Sirius' extreme personality and Remus' quiet extremity, Peter would be kind of like the glue that held the Marauders together. The person that ended scuffles that could end violently and smoothed things over._

 _I also think he would be the comforter. I feel like James and Sirius would not quite know what to say and be awkward and crack jokes the whole time and Remus has a lot of his own troubles, so Peter is kind of like the quiet rock of support. Though he may not get verbal thanks from the rest of the Marauders, they all treasure this about him and no matter how many jokes he ends up being the butt of, they treat him as an equal and a brother. (My thoughts on Remus' character will be next chapter as this A/N seems to be getting a bit long.)_


	3. The Sorting

**Chapter Three: The Sorting**

 _A/N: This chapter is pretty long! I just couldn't find a good way to split it in half. Its nearly 1500 words longer than the previous two. My chapters are generally somewhere from 2500-3500 words (never shorter than 2500) so you can be guaranteed a nice read. I'm really not a fan of 500-1000 word chapters in fanfic. Just a bit too short for my taste, unless it's a really good oneshot or drabble. Anyway, sorry for the rambling. Enjoy!_

"Black, Sirius!" was one of the first names that the Sorting Hat called out. Sirius squared his shoulders, straightened his spine, and headed over to the stool. He expected to be put into Slytherin the second the hat touched his head. He had accepted it a while ago. Now he wasn't so sure it was what he wanted. He didn't want to be alone in Slytherin with greasy-haired Severus. He didn't want to be on the receiving end of the nasty looks that all of the other House Members that knew he was a Black were shooting him.

He had always pushed back at his parents. He enjoyed causing mischief and he hated all of the horrid dance and etiquette and language lessons he was forced to take. He hated the fancy dinner parties and acting like a perfect gentleman. He hadn't approved of his mother's nasty language and her scolding, and how she looked down on everyone who was different than her. He didn't realize until the train ride, however, that perhaps his parents prejudice against Muggle-borns might be wrong.

The hat went over his eyes when placed on his head, and all he could see was darkness. _"Another Black. Normally I'd ship you straight into Slytherin. But what's this? A bit of doubt? You're confused, are you? Hmm, well that won't do. You might not fit in with the other Slytherins after all. Oh you have ambition, plenty of it. The question is whether or not you're willing to put justice over your own ambition. I don't think you would. Your moral compass seems questionable, but I believe you can make the right decisions and do what is right in the end._

 _No, not Slytherin for you. Now the question is: where else? Not Hufflepuff, goodness gracious no. You're intelligent; maybe Ravenclaw? Of course, that's not right either. It will take a lot of bravery to stand up against your parent's views and the Black reputation. Not many people will like your Sorting, I'm afraid. But it's the choice I have to make. Be strong, young man. Be brave. Because I'm putting you in GRYFFINDOR!_ "

Sirius, whose heart was racing, sat stunned on the stool. McGonagall prodded his back and he rose to his feet shakily. The entire Great Hall was silent, and then a murmur rippled through the air. Several of the Slytherins and Gryffindors booed and hissed. His cousin Narcissa was staring, her mouth open. His other cousin Andromeda looked confused but not opposed. Sirius stumbled over to the Gryffindor table and collapsed onto a bench. One of the Prefects greeted him but no one else said anything.

Names flew out and houses were announced, But Sirius barely paid any attention. He was aware of the curious eyes staring at him, and the unfriendly ones from the Slytherin table burnt holes in his back. He tried to shrug it off and glanced up to watch the rest of the Sorting.

"Evans, Lily." Lily practically skipped up to the bench. The hat was lowered over her brilliant green eyes. She heard a little voice in her mind.

" _Hullo dear. Oh my, so much kindness and enthusiasm. Hufflepuff comes to mind, of course. But there's more there. You have a spark deep inside. You're very determined, very stubborn. You stand up for your friends. I see clearly where you belong. I'll put you in GRYFFINDOR!_ "

Lily hopped off of the stool, shooting a very apologetic look at Severus, who seemed miserable. She sat down at the table and was greeted by several Upper Years. She was careful to avoid sitting too close to Sirius Black, who still looked pale and stunned.

More names flew by until, "Lupin, Remus." Lily watched as a skinny boy with dirty blonde hair walked up and delicately sat on the stool. He looked scared.

" _Please don't tell, please don't tell,_ " he thought desperately. He thought he heard a small chuckle.

" _Why, a werewolf at Hogwarts! How fabulous! What a scandal_!" The Hat seemed to be immensely amused. " _Of course you've got as much of a right to education as everyone else! And you needn't worry. My job is to tell people what house the students are in, not their status as Being or Beast. Now, let's get down to business. You've got a very bookish mind. You are very clever, my my. I would place you in Ravenclaw. But that's not right at all._

" _Young man, you've shown a vast amount of courage in your life. You face hell every month. You had the bravery to come to school. You plan on facing your life alone with no friends for seven years as you panic and try to hide your secret and yet you came anyway. I know that you feel scared. But bravery is not the absence of fear, it's marching on anyway. And that's exactly what you do. So of course you'll be GRYFFINDOR!_ "

Remus hopped off of the school and headed for the table quickly, aware of the applause and the eyes following. He wasn't quite sure where to sit, but he spotted Sirius sitting alone a little ways down the bench. He went over and sat next to him, but neither spoke. Remus paid attention to the Sorting, and Sirius seemed lost in his own thoughts. After "Patil, Peyton" was sorted into Gryffindor, Peter (whom Remus rather liked) was called up and the hat placed on his head.

" _Ah, you're another kind soul! Hufflepuff for you! Wait, hold on a second! You don't want to be Hufflepuff? Well, I like to take the student's consideration into account. Hmm, Iet's see. Your kindness roots from a sense of justice. I like that. You want to be braver, you say? Why, I know where to put you! I know you are a very timid person, but that can be changed. I often sort people by the traits they aspire to have. So you shall be a GRYFFINDOR!_ "

Peter skipped to the Gryffindor table with delight. He basked in the applause and the claps on the back he received. He came to sit next to Remus, who gave him a tiny smile. Peter returned it with a large toothy grin.

"Potter, James." James marched confidently up to the Hat, winked at McGonogall, and sat.

" _Brave heart, kind soul. Very loyal, you always stand up for what's right. Oh but you've got ambition too. Plenty of it. You could be a very good Slytherin, you know. Oh no, I can see you have strong feelings against that. Well then you'd definitely be GRYFFINDOR!_ "

James swaggered down to the end of the table, where he took a seat next to the Quidditch captain and accepted his congratulations. He paid little attention to the rest of the Sorting until the name, "Snape, Severus" caught his attention.

" _Hmm, this could be tricky. Not a Hufflepuff, nor a Ravenclaw. That's two down. You think you're going to be a Slytherin, eh? Well, we'll think about that. You are very ambitious, and might I be so bold as to suggest you would stoop to a low level to achieve your goals? Oh, but you could be great in Gryffindor. You're not afraid of much. And to suffer through your childhood you must be very brave. Alas, I see a certain weakness however. You don't value morals very much. You don't believe in justice and doing what is right no matter what. Very well, I suppose you're right. Let's make it SLYTHERIN!_ "

Lily's face fell but Severus looked almost indifferent as he took his place amongst the other Slytherins. What was done was done. The Sorting finished and everyone continued greeting the new first years. Introductions were made, old friends caught up. Remus spent the time staring at his plate while Peter chattered in his ear about how proud his parents would be. Sirius kept his chin held high and his eyes narrowed dangerously, eyeing the Gryffindors suspiciously and glancing over at the Slytherin table. James boasted about his flying skills to the current Gryffindor Beater, whom he happened to sit across from. Lily was trying to catch Severus' eye from across the room, but Severus was looking at his lap.

Finally, Albus Dumbledore stood. "Greetings, Hogwarts! Today marks another fabulous year of school! For some of you, this will be your last year. Make it a memorable one! Others will be taking your OWLs, so study hard! Of course, some of you are brand new and to you I say 'Welcome'!"

His eyes swept across the Great Hall, and he gave a tiny nod of satisfaction. "We have a few start of term announcements," he continued. "First of all, may I remind you that first years are not allowed their own broomsticks. The house-elves already have confiscated two from the luggage. Other than that, please keep all of our ordinary house-keeping rules in mind. For those of you who are unfamiliar with them or perhaps need to be reminded, they are posted on the bulletin boards in your common rooms. Finally, we have planted a Whomping Willow on the Hogwart's grounds this year. This tree is very dangerous and will attack anyone who comes close to it, so please watch where you walk."

Murmurs filled the Great Hall again. "Why did they plant a Whomping Willow at a school?" Sirius challenged boldly. Peter's eyebrows furrowed.

"Especially since they're so dangerous!" he squeaked. Remus, who was tucked in between them, shifted nervously in his seat. He knew exactly why the tree had been planted.

Dumbledore's voice rang out through the Hall again, effectively silencing everyone. "And now, the words you all have been waiting for! Let the feast begin!"

Food magically appeared on all of the serving platters. Lily couldn't contain her squeal as she clapped her hands together in excitement. James, sitting at the head of the table next to several Upper Years, loaded piles of food onto his plate and dug in quickly. Peter also took a healthy serving of food, chewing away ravenously. The full moon was in four days, but Remus' appetite was still normal. However, he was used to eating little food because his parents had invested so much money into trying to find a cure for his lycanthropy. He was astounded by the amount of food, and resolved to try a little of everything. Sirius picked at the food, hungry but unable to eat much. His mind was a mess.

After about forty-five minutes, Upper Years wearing silver badges began to herd students together. Everyone Second Year and up began to leave, heading to their dorms. The First Years stuck together, unsure of where to go in the maze of corridors and hallways. A tall girl with who carried herself with the air of someone with great authority came over. She had wavy brown hair that went most of the way down her back and blue eyes hidden behind smart-looking glasses. "I'm Dorcas Meadowes," she introduced herself. "One of your Gryffindor Prefects. Follow me please."

She led the group of little Gryffindors up the grand staircase and to the right. As they walked, she pointed out the occasional changing staircase or classroom door. At one point she grabbed Peter's arm and stopped him from falling through the stairs. "Watch yourself, Pettigrew. Some of the steps sink." She stepped over the tricky step and continued on her way. Peter went back to tagging along with Remus, who was trying to figure out what kind of school Hogwarts was. " _Who puts in moving staircases and steps that sink? Don't people ever get hurt?_ " Of course, Hogwarts was one of the best wizarding schools around, so who was he to judge?

Finally, they approached a large portrait. The golden frame nearly touched the floor and stood quite a few feet taller than Remus, who was short for his eleven years of age. There was a rather large lady in a pink dress standing in the portrait. She surveyed the students with interest. "Why, are these my Gryffindor firsties? Welcome to Hogwarts!"

"The password is Hogwash," Dorcas told them. "Don't forget it, otherwise you won't be let in. The password changes occasionally, and the new password is always posted on the bulletin board in the Common Room. Be sure to check it before you leave each day."

When Dorcas had said "Hogwash" the portrait had opened to reveal a tunnel. Dorcas ushered the first years through. Sirius could not help but feel uncomfortable and out of place. His parents were at home thinking that he was currently being shown how to get into the Slytherin dungeons by a Slytherin Prefect. Yet he was, being pushed and jostled into a huge room that was all decked out in red and gold. Large banners with lions on them hung around the room in separate places. There was a huge fireplace along one of the walls. Plush armchairs, couches, and work tables filled the space. The carpet seemed soft and there were cozy blankets lying around. The afore-mentioned bulletin board was behind him, right next to the beginning of the tunnel.

There were two staircases leading off of the common room. They were clearly marked "Girls" and "Boys". Dorcas walked over to the one labeled for the girls. "Can I get a male volunteer?" James' hand shot in the air before he even knew what he was volunteering for. Dorcas waved him up and he practically strutted over to where she stood. "I want you to try and go up the stairs to the girl's dorms."

James seemed confused, but complied anyway. "Whatever you say, Mademoiselle Prefect!" he said, sweeping into a bow. He started hopping up the stairs facing backwards. He got halfway up the stairs when all of the sudden the steps straightened themselves out and turn into very slippery material. James lost his footing and went flying down, fingers scrabbling wildly at the glassy surface. He was deposited at the bottom of the staircase with a _thunk_ and then the stairs re-formed. James spluttered, shoving his glasses back onto his face properly.

Sirius led the other first years in a loud bout of laughter as Dorcas helped James to his feet. "Sorry about that, I just wanted to demonstrate what would happen if a boy tried to sneak into the girl's dormitory. I knew if I just _told_ you no one would believe me and you'd all test it for yourselves. Easier for it to happen this way."

"Does it happen if the girls try to go into the boy's dorm too?" a girl with black hair and brown eyes asked.

"Funnily enough, McKinnon, it doesn't. I guess the Hogwart's Founders found girls a bit more mature and trustworthy than boys." After a squawk of indignation from many of the male students, Dorcas held her hands up in mock surrender. "I'll change my tune if you boys prove to be any different than your Upper Years. Now go find your dorm rooms. The list of people sharing each dorm should be posted on the door. Up you go!"

There was a wild scramble as everyone pushed to be first up their respective staircases. Both Sirius and James were at the head of the pack, whereas Peter and Remus stayed behind and allowed the rest stampede to go ahead of them before safely climbing the stairs. They had to pass a few Upper Year dorms before they came to the ones for the First Years, which were in their own corner. Remus squinted at the first list he saw and read it aloud underneath his breath.

 ** _FIRST YEAR BOY DORMITORY A:_**

 _-Barringer, Ian_

 _-Dippet, Aberto_

 _-Longbottom, Frank_

 _-Patil, Peyton_

 _-Shacklebolt, Kingsley_

"We must be somewhere else," Remus mused. Peter tugged on his sleeve and pointed to the only other First Year boy dormitory.

 ** _FIRST YEAR BOY DORMITORY B:_**

 _-Black, Sirius_

 _-Lupin, Remus_

 _-Pettigrew, Peter_

 _-Potter, James_

"We have to share a room with Sirius?" Peter asked, gaping at the list. The corners of his mouth turned downwards in a frown.

"I thought you were friendly with him?" Remus inquired.

"That was before I found out he's a Black! His sort are supposed to be in Slytherin! My mum says they're all Dark Wizards!"

Remus thought about how brooding and angry Sirius had appeared on the train. But then he remembered the boy with bright-eyes asking questions about motorcars. "Maybe it shan't be so bad."

"Whatever, I'm glad that I get a dorm with you though! We'll be the best of friends!" Peter gathered his courage and trotted through the door.

"Ah…. er….." Remus stuttered, but Peter was gone. He took a deep breath. " _Don't make friends!"_ His father's words continued to echo in his head. He sighed and followed the smaller blond boy in, closing the door behind him. He was greeted to the sight of a rather large room. The carpet was rich red. There were four four-poster beds in the dorm, two on each side. A window with gold curtains stood in between the two rows of beds, directly across from the door. On the right side of the room was the door that led to the bathroom, and on the left directly across from the bathroom there was a large desk and two chairs.

Potter marched into the bathroom and slammed the door shut. He had already claimed the bed on the far right, closest to the window, by throwing his trunk onto it. Sirius was putting his trunk next to the bed across from it on the left, also close to the window. Peter picked up his trunk and looked about. He must have decided that he didn't want to sleep next to a Black, because he took the bed next to James', in between the bespectacled boy's bed and the bathroom door. That left Remus the bed in between Sirius' bed and the desks, which he didn't mind. He expected he'd be studying a lot anyway.

"Hallo there Remus. Isn't it great? All of the other dorms have five people but there are only nine Gryffindor firsties so we only have four!" Sirius laughed.

The bathroom door banged open and James stomped across the dorm, this time in red pajamas. He dumped his robes into his trunk and closed it again. Then he threw the trunk to the ground. With a huff, he reached up and pulled the hangings around his bed closed. They heard some rustling of the sheets and then he was quiet.

"Wonder what got his knickers in a twist?" Sirius asked. "Whatever. Weird Gryffindor git."

"And you're nasty Slytherin scum. I don't know how you got sorted into Gryffindor, but I hope they fix it and you're gone by tomorrow!" James called through the bed hangings.

"You think I want to bunk with a pretentious prat like you?" Sirius spat.

"That's a mighty big word for a small Slytherin brain. Can you spell it?"

Sirius straightened and stood tall, lifting his head. He began reciting as though he were in a third grade spelling bee. "Pretentious. P-R-E-N-T-E-"

"Okay, I get it. Now shut up and bloody go to sleep. Your voice makes me ill."

Sirius scowled but grabbed his pajamas and retreated to the bathroom anyway. Peter choose to remain silent and changed in his bed with the curtains drawn. Remus waited until Sirius had come back and plopped into his bed before he dared to go to the bathroom and change. Finally, he was able to slip underneath the sheets and let his exhausted body slip into a dreamless sleep.

 _A/N: Now for my thoughts on Remus Lupin! Don't worry, I will definitely be portraying him as the evil mastermind behind the Marauders, but I won't start there. Just like I'm starting with Sirius still sharing some of his parent's beliefs. The Marauders' story is all about character development._

 _It is a common headcannon that Remus wasn't allowed interaction with other children his age before Hogwarts for fear of his secret slipping out. Therefore, he's shy and awkward. While he might have a wonderfully sarcastic sense of humor and long to be friends with people, he's too scared to draw attention to himself and get close to others. The other Marauders eventually break down his barriers, but it takes nearly a year and a half (till they know his secret) before he gets comfortable in his own skin. A little_ _too_ _comfortable, actually. He doesn't hold back his evil genius anymore._

 _Also I will be sticking to the actual lunar calendar for the years 1971-1978 (when the Marauders attended Hogwarts) so yeah…._

 _Anyway, please review with your own thoughts/headcannons, or anything you would like to see in the story! This fic is also cross-posted on Ao3 and Wattpad, under the same username (LilyTheNinjaGirl) and story name (The Marauder's Era)._


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